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Conservation Act 1987

Administration

59: Warranted officers

You could also call this:

"People the Director-General chooses to help with conservation jobs are called warranted officers."

The Director-General can appoint people to be warranted officers under the Public Service Act 2020. You can be appointed as a warranted officer for a particular area or for the whole of New Zealand. You might be given a warrant that says what powers you have.

If you are appointed as a warranted officer in an honorary capacity, you will be given a warrant that says what you can do. You can be appointed for up to three years, but you can be reappointed. The Director-General can remove you from your role if you are not doing your job properly.

Some people are automatically warranted officers, like constables or rangers. If you are a fishery officer or an honorary fishery officer appointed under Part 11 of the Fisheries Act 1996, you are also a warranted officer. You will be given a written warrant that proves you are a warranted officer.

If you are a warranted officer, you might be able to get your expenses paid back if you have been authorised by the Director-General. When you stop being a warranted officer, you have to give back your warrant and any badge you were given. The Director-General will give you a written warrant that proves you are a warranted officer, and this warrant is proof that you have been appointed.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM106939.

Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationGovernment and voting > Government departments
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Part 7Administration

59Warranted officers

  1. There may from time to time be appointed under the Public Service Act 2020 suitable persons to be warranted officers for the purposes of this Act.

  2. The Director-General may from time to time appoint suitable persons to be warranted officers in an honorary capacity for the purposes of this Act; and every person so appointed shall be deemed to be a warranted officer for the purposes of this Act having the powers specified in the warrant issued to the person.

  3. Any warranted officer may be appointed for a particular district or area or areas or to act generally throughout New Zealand.

  4. Any warranted officer may be appointed for the particular or general purposes of this Act specified in the warrant issued to that person.

  5. Every warranted officer appointed under subsection (2) shall be appointed for a term not exceeding 3 years specified by the Director-General; but may be reappointed.

  6. Any warranted officer appointed under subsection (2) may at any time be removed from office by the Director-General for incapacity, neglect of duty, or misconduct, proved to the satisfaction of the Director-General, or may at any time resign office by writing addressed to the Director-General.

  7. Every person shall, on ceasing to be a warranted officer, surrender to the Director-General the warrant of appointment, and any badge of office, issued to the person.

  8. No warranted officer appointed under subsection (2) shall, by virtue of the appointment, be deemed to be employed in the service of the Sovereign for the purposes of the Public Service Act 2020 or of the Government Superannuation Fund Act 1956.

  9. The Director-General shall give every warranted officer a written warrant, signed by or on behalf of the Director-General, evidencing the appointment; and the production of the warrant shall, in the absence of proof to the contrary, be conclusive evidence of the appointment.

  10. Every person who is a constable, or a ranger appointed under section 38(1) of the Wildlife Act 1953, section 8(1) of the Reserves Act 1977, or section 40(1) of the National Parks Act 1980, or any person who is a fishery officer or an honorary fishery officer appointed under Part 11 of the Fisheries Act 1996 to exercise powers in relation to freshwater fisheries, shall be deemed to be a warranted officer; but, where such a person has been so appointed in respect of part of New Zealand only, the person shall be deemed to have been appointed a warranted officer for that part.

  11. There may be paid to any warranted officer appointed under subsection (2), out of money appropriated by Parliament for the purpose, reimbursement of actual and reasonable expenses incurred in the course of acting as a warranted officer, if the Director-General has given prior authorisation and has subsequently approved the amount of the expenses.

Notes
  • Section 59(1): amended, on , by section 135 of the Public Service Act 2020 (2020 No 40).
  • Section 59(3A): inserted, on , by section 31(1) of the Conservation Law Reform Act 1990 (1990 No 31).
  • Section 59(7): editorial change made by the PCO, on , under sections 86(1) and 87(a) of the Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 58).
  • Section 59(7): amended, on , by section 135 of the Public Service Act 2020 (2020 No 40).
  • Section 59(9): amended, on , by section 12(2) of the Wildlife (Powers) Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 2).
  • Section 59(9): amended, on , pursuant to section 116(a)(ii) of the Policing Act 2008 (2008 No 72).
  • Section 59(9): amended, on , by section 31(2) of the Conservation Law Reform Act 1990 (1990 No 31).